Centrifugal machine



Patented Use. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM G. COLEMAN,

O13 WIGHITA, KANQAS.

onnrnrrueaic MACHINE.

Application filed May 28,

Z '0 all whom it may con-06m:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at l'iichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Ii'nprovements in Centrifugal Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

' This invention relates to centrifugal machines and particularly to centrifugal separators or amalgamators for separating metal from ore.

The invention is primarily intended for use in separating metals from ore pulp or sludge. The ore sludge is passed through the machine and during the passage therethrough, a body of mercury absorbs the metal, allowing the earth to pass out through the machine. After the mercury has become saturated with the metal, the metal is re covered in any appropriate manner.

The invention consists in certain novel details of ctuistruction and con'ibinat ons of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described, reference being had to the acconr panying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through a separator constructed in accordance with my invention.

ig. 2 is a perspective View of a distributor, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bottom part of the casing with the cover plate removed, part of the bottom part or member being broken away to show the interior thereof.

In carrying out the invention I provide an outer casing consisting of a hollow cupshaped member 1 and a cover 2 which constitutes a rotor driven by an appropriate means as, for example, by the hollow shaft 3. The bottom member of the cover or outer rotor consists of cupshape-d member having a bottom 4:, at the center of which is an opening 5 surrounded by an inwardly extending, upstanding collar 6 having radial impeller blades 7 at its periphery. The upper end of the member 1 is provided with an exterior flange 8 having an offset portion 1923. Serial No. 641,968.

9 to form a shoulder to receive a packing rin 1.6 extending inwardly beyond the inner wall of the member 1. Resting upon the offset portion and the ring 10 is a washer or gasket. 11 upon which rests the flange 12 of the cover 2, the flanges Sand 12 being secured together by suitable fastening devices, asbolts 13. 7

Within the casing formed by the members 1 and 2 is a distributor comprising a disk t having a depending flange 15, between the ends of which is a ring-shaped spreader or distributor flange 16. The distributor is spaced from the collar'6. The flange 15 is of a diameter sufficient to overlap the impeller blades 7 but also of such diameter that it is spaced inwardly from the walls of the member 1. At the top of the dis tributo-r is a collar 17 fastened to the disk 14- by a spider 18 so that spaces 19 will be provided to permit the material to pass into the separator from the hollow shaft 20 fastened to the collar 17.

The hollow shaft 20 is concentric with the shaft 3, being within itbut in spaced rela tion thereto.

The member 1 carries a body of mercury 21 which assumes the position shown in Fig. 1 when the casing is rotated. The outer rotor consistingof the members 1 and 2 is rotated at a speed sufficient to cause the body of mercury 21 to assume the position shown in Fig. 1 and the material is fed through the hollow shaft 20 and passes through the openings 19 over the distributor consisting of the disk 1%, flange 15 and flange 16 so that it is flowed over the mercury band 21. The distributor can be driven in the same direction as the casing or outer rotor, preferably at lower speed, or in a reverse direction, the purpose being to cause the incoming metal containing ore pulp or sludge to pass over the body of mercury which has an aflinity for the metal so that the metal is separated from the earth, the earth or tailings passing to the bottom of the casing. where they are picked up by the impeller blades 7.

It is intended that the metal be entirely separated from the earth by asingle operation but where that is impossible, I may arrange a plurality of separators in series and in that event, all of the distributors can be secured together and driven from the hollow shaft 20. If two distributors.

are employed, for example, the next succeeding one can have a rod with a threaded end to be received in a threaded socket 22 on the disk 14, as will be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 1.

When the material flows through the openings 19, it will pass over the dis; 15 and over the flange 16, where it will be directed against the surface of the circular column of mercury and, obviously, the material not absorbed by the mercury will gravitate to the bottom 01 the casing member 1, where, upon the proper accumulation, it will be discharged through the opening 5 due to the pressure of the incoming pulp.

The device can be readily assembled and disassembled, the parts can be inexpensively constructed and obviously, the material treated will be subjected to a sort of scrubbing action by the mercury ring so that the metal will be ehiciently removed from the earth, pulp or sludge.

lVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. A separator comprising an inner rotor and an outer rotor, the outer rotor comprising a casing having a mercur -receiving space, the inner rotor comprising a disk having a depending flange, and a distributing'flange on the depending flange, the periphery oi" the distributing flange be ing within the mercury space.

2. A separator comprising an inner rotor and an outer rotor, the outer rotor compris ing a casing having a mercury-receiving space, the inner rotor comprising a disk having 9. depending tic c, a distributing flange on the depending flange, the periphery of the distributing flange being within the mercury space, and means for discharging material from the bot-tom of the casing.

A separator comprising an inner rotor and an outer rotor, the outer rotor comprising a casing having a mercury-receiving space, the inner rotor comprising a disk having a depending flange,a distributing flange on the depending flange, the periphery of the distributing flange being within the mercury space, and means for discharging material from the bottom of the casing, said means comprising a collar surrounding an opening in the bottom of the casing and provided with radial impeller blades.

l. A centrifugal separator, comprising an inner member and an outer member, means for etl'ecting relative movement between the members, the inner member having a diskshaped flat top, a hollow shaft for delivering material upon the flat top, a depending cylindrical flange on the periphcry of the disk-shaped top, and a spider connecting the hollow shaft with the inner member, the spider spacing the lower end of the hollow shaft from the disk-shaped top, the outer member having a bottom wall with a raised central portion, and a collar in the bottom oil the outer member'surrounding an outlet opening and projecting upwardly into the space surrounded by the flange.

A centrifugal machine comprising an inner rotor and an outer rotor, the outer rotor consisting of a hollow member having a central opening at its bottom, a collar surrounding the central opening having radial impeller blades, a flange at the upper end of the outer rotor having an offset por tion, a. packing ring in the offset portion, a cover connected to the flange, a gasket beween the cover and the flange, the inner rotor consisting of a disk, a collar, spaced members connecting the collar to the disk, a depending flange on the'disk, and a ringshaped flange intermediate the ends of the depending flange.

in testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM C. COLEMAN. 

